Women's Leadership in Emergencies

Women Respond is CARE's global initiative to amplify the voices and leadership of women, girls, and their communities. Through ongoing listening and engagement, Women Respond lifts up women's lived experiences to shape programs and guide decisions that reflect their priorities.

Building on CARE’s long relationships with women leaders and communities worldwide, Women Respond helps us better understand their experiences, challenges, and needs. This is especially important during crises, when women and girls often face greater food insecurity, loss of income, and increased risks of violence. In the face of these challenges, women continue to show extraordinary strength and leadership, to support their families and communities.

More than just a survey, Women Respond turns insight into action. It puts information directly in the hands of people and organizations who can create change—from women leading local initiatives to groups coordinating global response and recovery efforts. Findings are shared at every level to make sure responses address what women and their communities say they need most.

Please note this visualization is best viewed on desktop.

Women in savings groups

CARE asked women in savings groups in three countries about how they've responded to crisis

Crisis and impact

"What crisis are you currently facing and how is it affecting your life?"

Watch Video

Crisis response

"What actions are you taking to respond to the different market, climate, and food crises?"

Watch Video

Priority needs

"What support do you need?"

Watch Video

Featured case studies

Educating the community, Côte d'Ivoire

Yolande Ebah Kouassi, from the Marahoue region in Côte d’Ivoire, is the President of her Village Savings & Loan Association. She runs her own small business by selling 'attieké', a local food that she makes from the cassava she grows. She is a VSLA pioneer and has set up new groups and mobilized and inspired 150 women to join groups in her community.

Read Yolande's story

The negotiating power of saving groups, Vietnam

Ho Thi Ngam is from an isolated village in Quang Tri province in Vietnam, and is the leader of her Village Savings & Loan Association. The climate crisis is challenging Ngam and her community; flooding has damaged crops, impacting agricultural production. Ngam helps women in her community find different income-generating opportunities - from coordinating groups of women to find seasonal work to brokering a fair wage.

Read Ngam's story